5A-Central Conference Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The high school basketball season is right around the corner in the state of Arkansas. Before the season tip-offs, I wanted to preview every division of every conference in the state. These will have player breakdowns, coach quotes, and more. It should be noted that almost all the stats, such as records or returning players, are from MaxPreps/Scorebook Live. I say this because records on scorebook live are not 100% accurate. With that being said, let's hop into conference 4A-3.<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Greenbrier</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025/2026 Recap - 2026/2027 Preview </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Overall Record 21-11</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Conference Record - 11-5</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Home Record - 7-6</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Away Record - 10-4</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Season Finish - Lost in the Second Round of the State Tournament (Marion)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ranked Prep Hoops Players&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#71 Gavin Wallace 2027&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#37 Sam Palmer 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player Breakdown</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3795085"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ad26c4ca1b43"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Luebeke is the state's most underrated player. The 6'7 forward blends skill and athleticism for an incredibly high ceiling. Carter is dangerous in the two-person game; when rolling, he has the length and touch to finish over and around defenders. What really makes him a hard guard, though, is his ability to pop out off the screen and hit shots efficiently from the perimeter. The forward moves well for his size, showing an ability to put the ball on the floor and get downhill.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Jacksonville</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2025/2026 Recap - 2026/2027 Preview </strong></h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Overall Record - 13-15</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Conference Record - 6-10</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Home Record - 4-6</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Away Record - 8-8</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ranked Prep Hoops Players&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Kinston Brown 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#11 Elijah Span 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#22 Davyon Parker 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#70 Omarion Wilford 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Nicholas Ronnau 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Coach Q/A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who are one or two guys that will be x-factors this year for your squad?</strong> -<em>"Elijah Span 2028 6'6 and Davyon Parker 2028 5'8. These are the two guys we are expecting to lead the charge this season, but we have other guys as well that we are expecting big things from Jr Guard Gavin Gordon, So. Guard Montrez Williams. We have other guys as well that we are excited to see them get an opportunity (Sr. Keaton Hardaway, Jr. Jakobe Crawfrod, Sr. Cameron Muhammad)"</em><br><strong>Going into the new season, what areas has this team made the most improvements in?</strong> -<em>"Areas that we have made improvement on: Our experience, we were really young last season with no experience so I think our experience will be a big factor this year. Think we will have some length in the front court and wing positions. Think this group will be able to play faster in transition where we can get some easy transition baskets with our defense. Our experience should be one of our biggest strengths this season. Last year, we were a very young team with limited varsity experience, and we had to learn through a lot of those situations on the fly. With that experience now under our belt, I believe we will be much more prepared and confident this season. We also have good length across our frontcourt and wing positions, which should give us added versatility on both ends of the floor. Our goal is to use that length and athleticism to create opportunities defensively and turn those stops into easy baskets in transition. I believe this group has the potential to play at a faster pace, defend with greater intensity, and consistently put pressure on teams in transition. At the same time, our execution in the half court is going to be extremely important. We have to be able to value possessions, make the right reads, move the basketball, and execute our actions with purpose when we don't have the opportunity to get out and run. If we can combine our experience, length, athleticism, defensive identity, and half-court execution, I believe we have the opportunity to take a significant step forward this season."<br></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>LR Catholic</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2025/2026 Recap - 2026/2027 Preview </strong></h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Overall Record - 4-25</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Conference Record - 1-15</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Home Record - 3-12</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Away Record - 0-13</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ranked Prep Hoops Players&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Stratton Robinson 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Andrew Aday 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Adam Lefler 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>LR Christian</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2025/2026 Recap - 2026/2027 Preview </strong></h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Overall Record - 26-8</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Conference Record - 14-2</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Home Record - 13-4</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Away Record - 10-2</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Season Finish -&nbsp; Lost in the Second Round of the State Tournament (Farmington)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ranked Prep Hoops Players&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Des Martin 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Christian Morris</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Coach Q/A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Who are one or two guys that will be x-factors this year for your squad?</strong> - <em>"We graduated a very large senior class from last years team. We will be very inexperienced but have a lot of young guys with great potential. We will need Carter Doan to be a great senior leader for us."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Going into the new season, what areas has this team made the most improvements in?</strong> - <em>"A late coaching transition is always challenging. I'm really proud of the way our guys have responded throughout the transition. They have worked extremely hard this summer and preseason, and are anxious to get their opportunity to prove themselves. They are improving every day learning a new system and culture."</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>LR Parkview</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025/2026 Recap - 2026/2027 Preview </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Overall Record - 27-5</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Conference Record - 15-1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Home Record - 16-3</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Away Record - 10-1</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Season Finish - Won the 5A State Championship</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ranked Prep Hoops Players&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#3 Jamal Holden</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#17 Aidan Gill 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#89 Christian Washington 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Keithan Green 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Jayce Utsey 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Jonathan Geter 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#7 Kain Hill 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#66 Kelvin Walker 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#88 Landen Hubbard 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player Breakdown</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2484366"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ad26c4ca1b8a"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Gill has transferred to Little Rock Parkview for his final season. The guard had an impressive junior season at Southside and was an All-State selectee. Gill is very shifty with the ball, making him difficult for any defender to stay in front of him. Using his speed, he can get to his desired spots in the mid-range area. Gill can take over games with his scoring at times, making him one of the best guards in his class. This year he'll be able to show more of his playmaking ability, as Parkview is one of the more talented teams in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Maumelle</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2025/2026 Recap - 2026/2027 Preview</strong></h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Overall Record - 13-18</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Conference Record - 10-6</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Home Record - 6-9</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Away Record - 7-7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Season Finish - Lost in the First Round of the State Tournament (Benton)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ranked Prep Hoops Players&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#6 Ethan Polite 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#24 Kamryn Alexander 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#27 Kennon Johnson 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#49 Ashton Shelton 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#59 Jackson Walker 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#123 Nathan Brackett 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#46 Amari Green 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Malik Ali 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#38 Ashton Harris 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Ben Davis</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player Breakdown</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2441317"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ad26c4ca1bb0"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">At 6'5, Polite is a true floor general for Maumelle. He's lethal in the pick-and-roll, with great vision and awareness when a teammate has an open lane. He shows versatility on offense, being more than just a playmaker. Though Polite can hit the outside shot, he seems to prefer getting to the paint. The guard is crafty, being able to consistently alter shot attempts around the basket when defenders help over. When he doesn't get to the paint, he attacks the defender's top foot well, then uses their momentum against them for easy step-back opportunities in the mid-range.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Joe T. Robinson</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2025/2026 Recap - 2026/2027 Preview </strong></h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Overall Record - 19-11</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Conference Record - 6-6</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Home Record - 8-5</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Away Record - 9-6</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ranked Prep Hoops Players&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#102 Gunner Raath 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#83 Javion Singleton 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#41 Zoom Overton 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#79 Graham Nannis 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#97 Josiah Shirlee 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Sylvan Hills</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2025/2026 Recap - 2026/2027 Preview </strong></h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Overall Record - 18-12</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Conference Record - 6-10</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Home Record - 11-5</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Away Record - 7-7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ranked Prep Hoops Players&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#31 Chanse Smith 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#102 Maurice Phillips 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#45 Joshua Hansberry 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#60 Antywon Lamar Hampton Jr. 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#64 Ryan Evans 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Noah Cherry 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Blaize Engles 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Torry Griffin 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Corey King 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Mahkai York 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Vilonia</strong></h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:heading {"level":4} --> <h4 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>2025/2026 Recap - 2026/2027 Preview </strong></h4> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Overall Record - 17-12</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Conference Record - 8-8</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Home Record - 10-7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Away Record - 6-5</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ranked Prep Hoops Players&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#19 Jaxsen Hollis 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#58 Mack Mannion 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Noah Griffin 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#52 Boston Bradford 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#71 Mac McCutchen 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>#92 Bryce Myers 2028</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WL Brixton Burnette 2029</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Player Breakdown</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2767201"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6ad26c4ca1bd8"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Mannion has always been a consistent shooter from the guard spot. Entering his senior season, his offensive game has taken a big leap. He can impact the game in a multitude of ways, whether on or off the ball. At 6'5, he can fit into a “Point-Forward” or “3-D Wing role. Mannion's playmaking seems to fly under the radar, and he should get more opportunities to show it regularly this season. Without the ball, he's a real threat from behind the arc. Mack has a pretty shot that's always been a major factor in his production. He's even shown to be dangerous on back door cuts when playing through the offense for Vilonia,</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->